Living for Christ in a pagan world

Transcription

1 Living for Christ in a pagan world 1 and 2 Peter simply explained by Michael Bentley

2 The responsibilities of church leaders The responsibilities of church leaders Please read 1 Peter 5:1-4 Every so often we come to a portion of God's Word which is addressed to a particular group of people or a specific situation, and we say to ourselves, 'Oh, this doesn't concern me! I can switch off here and pay no further attention.' At first glance this passage seems to have no relevance to those who are not elders in the church because Peter addresses the first four verses of this last chapter, 'To the elders among you... ' But I believe that every Christian can learn something from this section. After all, we are told that 'All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful... ' (2 Timothy 3:16). However, this passage does have special meaning for those who are elders, or those who feel that God may be calling them to this high office. It is not wrong to desire to be active in Christian leadership. Paul says, 'If anyone sets his heart on being an overseer, he desires a noble task' (1 Timothy 3:1). Peter claims to be an elder Peter was an apostle. He says so in 1:1: 'Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ'. When I have been on holiday I have quite often attended Greek Orthodox Church services which have been held in village churches in various parts of Greece. Whichever church you go to, you will discover that they are all designed in the same way. The floor, where all the congregation walk or stand, represents the flat earth. All over the walls there are paintings depicting various holy people. The higher up the wall the person's picture is, the more important he or she is. Each church is built according to the Byzantine style with a large dome covering the centre. Painted on the inside of this dome you will always find a picture of God looking down from heaven on to his world. The saints are often painted in tiers, and nearer to the roof of the church there are pictures of the twelve apostles. Peter is one of them. Similar scenes are carved way up in the stonework of many ancient British cathedrals. But when Peter writes this passage he does not wish to be thought of as far away from ordinary people. He tells the elders of the churches to whom he is writing that he, Peter, is also a 'fellowelder'. He implies that elders are to be among the 'flock that is under [their] care' (5:2). The phrase 'under your care' literally means, 'that is among you'. 1 The point to notice is that Peter is not puffed up with pride because of the high office which he held. He is filled with humility because he realizes that it is a great honour to tend the flock of God's people. Peter then says that he was 'a witness of Christ's sufferings'. Again we see the way in which Peter expressed his humility. He could have said, 'I was privileged to see Jesus perform many marvellous miracles.' Or he could have spoken about the numerous wonderful sermons he actually heard Jesus preach. He could have highlighted that important occasion of the transfiguration, when only he, James and John witnessed that wonderful moment when Jesus met with Moses and Elijah. Instead of mentioning any of these events he points only to the sufferings of Christ. This would remind Peter of his blackest hour, that time when he let his Lord down so very badly. 'We remember just what kind of "witness" Peter was: one whose courage failed and who, three times, denied that he even knew Christ.' 2 Yet Peter lived to receive the Lord's forgiveness and to be restored to a position of usefulness in God's kingdom. This is a great comfort to those of us who have also failed the Lord grievously. We are conscious that we have sinned against the Lord and the work to which he has called us. When we consider our behaviour we feel sure that there can be no further usefulness for us in God's kingdom. But one of the wonderful things about God's grace and mercy is that he

3 160 Living for Christ in a pagan world uses failures. He takes notice of those who freely confess their faults and truly repent of their sins and, sooner or later, he brings them back into his service. These servants of God can then sing with new meaning, Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven, who like thee his praise should sing? 3 Next Peter says that he is 'one who also will share in the glory to be revealed'. He again identifies himself with ordinary people. He had seen Christ's glory on earth. He had been a witness to these wonderful things. He had seen the sufferings of Christ and his entrance into glory, but he does not say, 'Look at me. I am an apostle. I am going to have a special place in the kingdom.' Instead he says, 'I will share in the glory to be revealed.' Again Peter looks forward to the glorious second coming of Christ. At that wonderful time all of God's people will participate in his future glory, and Peter, in his humility, will be glorified along with each of God's blood-bought people. The work of an elder Elders are to be shepherds of God's flock. The term 'shepherd' was used many times in the Old Testament. Believers are 'his people, the sheep of his pasture' (Psalm 100:3). The leaders of Israel were to act as shepherds of the flock of God. Through Ezekiel, God had to chastise the shepherds of Israel who, instead of caring for the people of God, only took care of themselves (Ezekiel 34:1-10). Peter must have heard Jesus use this same figure of a shepherd. The Lord had called himself 'the good shepherd' (John 10:1-18). He had also alluded to himself when he told the parable about the shepherd who left the ninety-nine sheep which were safely gathered into their fold, and went out and found the one that was lost (Luke 15:3-7). After his resurrection Jesus had spoken to Peter about the love that he had for the Lord. He said, 'Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?' 'Yes Lord,... you know that I love you,' replied Peter. The same question was asked The responsibilities of church leaders 161 of Peter three times. Each time his disciple replied in the same vein. After each of Peter's answers Jesus gave these commands: 'Feed my lambs,' 'Take care of my sheep,' and 'Feed my sheep' (John 21:15-17). The apostle applies this teaching of the Master and says that the elders of the various churches to which he is writing are to be shepherds like that. He is saying that elders have the responsibility of caring for the people of God. The believers are 'under [their] care'. They have to protect them, feed them and generally look after their welfare. They have to do this by teaching and applying the Scriptures to their situations. Archbishop Leighton said that the food (he means by that the preaching) that these elders should give to the people should not be 'empty of subtle notions, nor light, affected expressions, but wholesome truths, solid food, spiritual things spiritually conceived, and uttered with holy understanding and affection'. 4 Elders are also to be overseers. The word 'overseer' is sometimes translated 'bishop' (as in the AV). That is what a bishop does. He has the spiritual oversight of God's people. In the New Testament there were several overseers in each church. When Paul wrote his letter to the church at Philippi he addressed it to 'all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons' (Philippians 1:1). The New Testament bishop does not appear to be a man who dressed in a special hat and wore a large ring which all the people stooped to kiss. He was one of a number of respected, humble brethren who had the special responsibility for running the affairs in the church. We can see from this passage, and from Acts 20:17, 28 that the terms 'elder', 'shepherd' (pastor) and 'overseer' (bishop) were all used in ways which showed they were interchangeable. The word 'elder' seems to indicate the title of the man and the words 'shepherd' and 'overseer' describe the work which he did. Did these elders do this job because there was no one else able to do it? I think not. When you consider the great dangers that elders (or any prominent Christians) had to face in those days you will realize that no one took on the office lightly. Elders had to have courage and to be willing to accept this difficult task. They had to want to place themselves in the

4 162 Living for Christ in a pagan world front line of the battle against Satan. They had to be prepared for all the criticism which sometimes comes the way of church leaders. But also there were very severe troubles awaiting anyone who took on the office of an elder in those days. Edmund Clowney sums it up like this: 'The elders who received Peter's letter carried spiritual burdens that weighed heavier as they saw the darkening horizon of impending persecution.' 5 Elders certainly did not do the job because of the stipend they received. However, Peter does not say that elders should not be paid. The Lord Jesus himself said that 'The worker is worth his keep' (Matthew 10:10). It is, therefore, perfectly in order for elders to be paid for the work they do, but Peter says that elders should 'not [be] greedy for money'. No one should do the work of an elder just because the pay is good - indeed in many churches pastors are very poorly paid. Finally, Peter says to these elders that they should not be those who are 'lording it over those entrusted to you'. Elders should not go around with the attitude that demands respect from everyone; they have not been called to this task by the Lord so that they can throw their weight around and expect unquestioning obedience to their commands. Elders should be those who command respect rather than demand it. They should 'set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity' (1 Timothy 4:12). By their gentle, but firm leadership they should be 'examples to the flock'. The responsibilities of church leaders 163 passed away eventually. When Philip of Macedon (the father of Alexander the Great) died in 336 B. C. his coffin was surmounted with a beautiful intricately made golden crown, the gold of which was beaten into the shapes of tiny wild flowers and insects even a little butterfly. On 17 August 1989 I saw that same golden crown, still gleaming, in the Archeological Museum in Thessaloniki, northern Greece. It has lasted all these years, but one day, together with all earthly things, it will perish. (Peter speaks about this in 1:7.) But it is not only elders who will receive a crown. James 1: 12 tells us that all believers will be granted a crown - a crown of life on that day, one which will 'never perish, spoil or fade' (1:4). Isaiah prophesies that this crown of life will be the Lord himself: 'In that day the Lord Almighty will be a glorious crown, a beautiful wreath for the remnant of his people' (Isaiah 28:5). We read in Revelation 4:10 of twenty-four elders in heaven. John describes them as those who are taking their crowns of glory and casting them before the throne of him who once wore the crown of thorns for them. The rewards of church leaders Once again Peter refers to the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. He calls the Lord the 'Chief Shepherd'. Elders (including those called by the title 'pastor') are undershepherds; Jesus is the Chief Shepherd. He is the one who cares for his flock in a way which is absolutely perfect, and one day he is coming again for his own. At that wonderful time faithful elders will receive a crown of glory that will never fade away. Victors in ancient times were crowned with a garland of flowers. Sometimes these were made from 'everlasting' flowers. But even those much coveted crowns

5 The problem of humility The problem of humility Please read 1 Peter 5:5-7 A few years ago there was a song which went something like this: 'It's awfully hard to be humble when you're perfect in every way.' I am sure the composer of this song had his 'tongue in his cheek' when he wrote it, but this does express the way many people act. They behave as though they were perfect. We all know that we ought to be humble under God's mighty hand, but when we think about ourselves and what we have achieved then the devil tempts us to think that we are really pretty good. A command to young men Peter says that young men are to 'be submissive to those who are older'. It is a characteristic of young men and women to behave as though they were the most important people alive. Young men often seem to be full of ideas. They are not 'backwards in coming forward'. To hear them speak, we would get the impression that there is no subject upon which they are not experts. They often show an impatience with other people, treating them as though they are inferior. Perhaps with these views in mind, Peter says that young men who are members of churches should have a submissive attitude to everyone. There are times when they need to force their learning and knowledge to 'take a back seat'. They should submit to those who are older - even if the older people have never been to university or had such a wide experience of the modern world as they have. In writing to these churches Peter seems to be saying that young men should not always be given their head. Care must be taken in giving them leadership positions in the church of Jesus Christ. It may be true that they are likely to be better educated than their elders. They probably have more paper qualifications than older people. They may have travelled to a wider variety of countries than others, but it is unlikely that they have had more experience of life than their elders. The psalmist suggests that one of the advantages of being old is that the young only know what it is like to be young but those who are older have experienced both 'worlds'. He says, 'I was young and now I am old' (Psalm 37:25). The Scriptures teach that young men need to show a great deal of humility and respect for those who are older. The complaint often made today is that young people are not humble. But 800 years before Christ was born a Greek poet called Hesiod wrote, 'When I was a boy, we were taught to be discreet and respectful of elders, but the present youth are exceedingly impatient of restraint. They have execrable manners, flout authority and have no respect for their elders.' He adds, 'What kind of creatures will they be when they grow up?' 1 In this section Peter is continuing the theme he started in 5:1-4. He writes, 'in the same way'. He used this phrase in 3:7 when he spoke of the responsibilities of husbands. There he said that husbands should act lovingly towards their wives, and their wives should be submissive to them. As young men must behave in a caring and considerate way to those who are older, so elders ought to behave in a loving and kind way to the people of God under their care. Although this phrase 'young men' may include young women also, it does seem that the men (elder and younger) played important roles in the leadership of the church in Peter's day. Even those who were sometimes to the fore had to learn to be submissive to those in authority over them. Submission was due to the ruling authorities in government (2: 1317). Slaves had to submit to their masters (2:18-21). Wives had to submit to their husbands (3: 1-6) and young men had to learn humility by being submissive.

6 166 Living for Christ in a pagan world A command to everyone He says that 'all of you' must 'clothe yourselves with humility towards one another'. They were not just to humble themselves before important people, but also towards each other. Paul says that the Philippian believers should 'in humility consider others better than [themselves]' (Philippians 2:3). The message which is coming through is that everyone is important in God's sight and equal care and loving concern should be shown to all. One of the responsibilities that church leaders have is to see that 'all of the flock' are being cared for. How sad it is when some church members do not humble themselves before others! They expect everyone to 'come up' to their intellectual level. It concerns me that sometimes those who are converted in their sixties, seventies and eighties are not treated gently enough. Some of them do not have the expertise to read long, closely reasoned theological treatises. Yet, when people are seeking the Lord we so often give them a book to read - quite often it is a long complicated book. They are treated as though they are intellectuals. Did most of the apostles spend hours each week studying religious books? We do not even know if some of them were educated beyond the rabbinical school, where their reading would have been confined to the Old Testament Scriptures. When we consider this we must realize that those who are younger must treat with great consideration those who may be less well educated than themselves. We must not expect too much from them. Those who write books like the Welwyn Bible Commentaries constantly have to bear this in mind. How often it happens that there are people in a church service who are left sitting on their own, or standing waiting at the end of the service with no one talking to them! Sometimes this is because younger believers do not feel they have anything in common with older friends who may not be able to converse on their intellectual level. If this is the case then something is wrong and more thought, work and prayer needs to be put into the art of communication. Peter says that his readers must clothe themselves with humility. The word 'clothe' means 'to tie a piece of clothing to oneself'. Slaves used to knot a white scarf or apron over their The problem of humility 167 clothing to distinguish themselves from freemen. 'The suggestion is that Christians ought to tie humility to their conduct so that everyone is able to recognize them. Peter exhorts the readers to fasten humility to themselves once for all. In other words, it stays with them for the rest of their lives. 2 All Christians must ask themselves if they are prepared to let their humility be seen by everyone for the rest of their lives. How unscriptural it is to think, 'I'm happy to act humbly towards some people, but not to others. And I don't know whether I can keep this up for the rest of my life'! It may well be that Peter had in his mind that scene in the upper room when the disciples had gathered with Jesus for the Last Supper. No one had taken upon himself the humble duty of washing the dirt from the feet of the guests. So Jesus set all of his disciples an example of humility by stooping down, taking a bowl of water and a towel and washing their feet. When Jesus came to Peter the apostle at first rebelled against such a thing, but Jesus said, 'You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand' (John 13:7). Maybe this is why Peter wrote, 'AU of you, clothe yourselves with humility.' Calvin comments that 'No ornament is more beautiful or more becoming, than when we submit one to another.' 3 Then the apostle quoted from Proverbs 3:34: 'God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.' This is a statement which is also used by James to teach the same lesson (James 4:6). God hates pride and he opposes those who display it. In any case what have believers to be proud of? If they have achieved anything of lasting value it is for the Lord's glory, not for theirs. The reason they were able to do something valuable is because the Lord has given them the wisdom, the ability and the strength to do it. 'Where, then, is boasting? It is excluded' (Romans 3:27), because all spiritual good is done only through the grace of God. God's hand is over everything We read a great deal in the Bible about the hand of God. God is not human, but to explain to us his power, the Holy Spirit uses human terms - as though God really had hands, eyes

7 168 Living for Christ in a pagan world and a right hand. Jacob, speaking of the blessings given to Joseph, said that 'the hand of the Mighty One of Jacob' was upon him (Genesis 49:24). God told Moses that the children of Israel would be delivered from Egypt. He said, 'Because of my mighty hand [Pharaoh] will let them go' (Exodus 6:1), and Moses and the Israelites sang this song of deliverance: 'Your right hand, O Lord, was majestic in power. Your right hand, O Lord, shattered the enemy' (Exodus 15:6). This expression obviously speaks of the power and strength of the Lord. God's people must humble themselves under God's right hand. With this statement we come to the culmination of all of Peter's exhortations about submission. We must submit to the authorities who are over us (2:13). We must also submit to one another (Ephesians 5:21). But most of all we must submit ourselves to God. He promises that those who submit themselves to him will be lifted up. There are many examples in Scripture of those who humbled themselves before God, and were then delivered. 'Because Rehoboam humbled himself, the Lord's anger turned from him, and he was not totally destroyed' (2 Chronicles 12:12). 'Hezekiah repented of the pride of his heart... therefore the Lord's wrath did not come upon [the people]' (2 Chronicles 32:26). After Nebuchadnezzer was humbled by God he was in due time restored to his position of authority (Daniel 4:34-37). However, when it seems as if we are living under some dark cloud, we may have to wait for a long time before we experience that restoration which we seek. The Scriptures say that '[God will] lift you up in due time.' Peter means that he will intervene 'at the right time'. Only God knows when that will be. To those who are weary of waiting to be lifted up, the message is 'Do not despair.' God does have his loving hand upon his people and he will lift them at the right time. He will not leave them until it is too late. Peter's message is 'Humbly commit yourselves to the Lord who knows all about your trouble and concern.' When Christians become over-anxious they must remember that they are failing to submit to God's loving care over them. Jesus said, 'Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink' (Matthew 6:25). He did not mean that The problem of humility 169 we should not be sensible with our resources. He was not saying that we should not take care over how we spend our money. He was not advocating that we should never plan anything. Jesus meant that we should take no anxious care about our life. It is pride that makes us anxious. When we are proud we are not prepared to hand everything over to God's control. We say to ourselves, 'I've got to work this out without any help from anyone at all.' When we get into that frame of mind we should remember that God's mighty hand is over us and that he will protect and provide for us. Is it not a wonderful thing to know that we can cast (that means 'throw') all of our anxieties upon God because he cares for us? How stupid it is then to have the attitude that says, 'Why pray when you can worry?" Peter says to these dear Christian folk of northern Turkey, 'God does care for you and he wants you always to cast your anxieties upon him.' The same comforting news applies to all of God's people in every situation and every place. The psalmist puts it like this, 'Cast your cares upon the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall' (Psalm 55:22). The writer of this psalm was being pursued by many enemies at the time, but he handed over all his anxieties to the care and keeping of the Lord his God. And in return he received the gift of peace. Col. E. H. Joy of the Salvation Army wrote, All your anxiety, all your care, Bring to the Mercy Seat, leave it there. Never a burden he cannot bear, Never a friend like Jesus. 5 So the message for us all is that we should not be too proud to submit to the Lord. We should hand over our life and all its concerns to him who is the great burden bearer.

8 Faith matters Faith matters Please read 1 Peter 5:8-11 Some people say that it does not matter what you believe so long as you are sincere in your beliefs. The problem with that statement is that it is possible to be sincerely wrong. We can believe that a number 9 bus will come past where we are standing. We might be completely sincere in our belief but it will be quite useless if that particular bus route comes nowhere near the road where we are waiting. Beliefs are important, but we can have wrong beliefs, or our beliefs can be directed towards the wrong objects. The only kind of faith that true Christians find eternally valuable is faith in God. The only way to have faith in God is to approach him through belief in the Lord Jesus Christ, believing that he is the Son of God and, therefore, the only way to God. Several times in these closing verses of Peter's first letter he tells his readers to 'stand firm'. He uses this concept in different forms but the sense is always similar. He wants God's people to be steadfast. He urges them to lean hard upon the Lord - trusting everything to his care and keeping. However, there is one big problem facing each of God's people the devil. The devil is real He has many names. Sometimes he is called Satan. This literally means, 'the adversary'. He is one who accuses God's people. In Zechariah 3 we find a picture of him standing at the right hand of Joshua the high priest. He is in that position so that he can accuse Joshua. Sometimes this most evil of beings is called the devil. The devil tempted Jesus in the wilderness. He quoted Scripture to try to make Jesus follow his evil insinuations (see Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13; Mark 1:13). In other places he is called Beelzebub. This is the name given to the prince of evil - the one who leads all his evil forces in the fight against God. We read of Beelzebub in Mark 3:22. He is also described in other ways. In John 14:30 he is called 'the prince of this world'. Paul describes him as 'the ruler of the kingdom of the air' (Ephesians 2:2), and in 2 Corinthians 11:14 we are told that he sometimes appears as 'an angel of light'. 'He slanders God and man, pits one person against another, and undermines the believer's faith in God.' 1 The devil has one main objective: to thwart God's purposes. He is the enemy of God and of everything that is good, true and right. He is very active everywhere and he has his agents all over the world. They have been well trained by their master and they entice many people into all kinds of evil ways. The devil is behind the power of pornography which shouts at us all from street advertising hoardings, magazine articles, television programmes and books. It may be true that very few of God's people actually yield to the temptation of immoral sexual acts, but many of them gain illicit pleasure from reading about the downfall of those who do indulge in such things. Another aim of Satan is to tempt people to steal. They may not take money or property, but they may be guilty of stealing time from the boss or undisclosed earnings from 'the taxman'. The devil and his hosts are always busy trying to lead God's people astray and seeking to bring the Lord's honour into disrepute. He is the enemy of all men and women. Peter writes about the devil's activities. He says that 'The devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour' (5:8). Perhaps Peter had in mind the hungry lions caged up underneath Rome's arenas and waiting to be released into the midst of helpless Christians. It is in the nature of hungry lions to be

9 172 Living for Christ in a pagan world always on the look-out for food. Satan is pictured standing, drooling at the mouth, watching for Christians whom he can lure away from the Lord. His roaring would strike terror into the hearts of God's people were it not for the fact of God's declaration that believers are under the protection of the Lord. Satan may sound threatening but he can never devour (i.e., swallow up) born-again believers for they are safe in the hands of God. But the devil's greatest ploy is to persuade people that he does not exist. On the island of Jersey there is an area called 'the Devil's Hole'. This is a great black vault in the ground. Fixed into this hole is a statue. It is an artist's idea of what the devil looks like. The figure has a forked tail and horns coming out of his head. He is black, and he has a rather foolish-looking grin around his mouth. When most people see it a smile comes over their faces. This is what Satan likes more than anything. He wants everyone to think of him as a harmless figure of fun - as someone who doesn't really exist and therefore who is nothing to be afraid of! Christians must combat the devil God's people need to avoid all wrong things. One of the ways to keep ourselves pure from evil thoughts is to make sure we do not do anything which will stimulate wrong thoughts in our minds. For example if we know we are likely to be tempted to read 'smutty' literature, then we ought to make sure that we never go anywhere near the places where this kind of material is sold. If we really want to follow the Lord, then we must keep away from every evil influence on our lives. We must even 'abstain from all appearance of evil' (1 Thessalonians 5:22 AV). Paul lists various things we are to avoid. He says, 'Flee from sexual immorality' (1 Corinthians 6:18); 'Flee from idolatry' (1 Corinthians 10:14) and 'Flee the evil desires of youth' (2 Timothy 2:22). However, when we read about the devil we are not told to run away. We are urged to stand our ground and resist him. J ames tells us that if we resist the devil then he will flee from us (James 4:7). But that is easier said than done. He is frightening. His roaring keeps reminding us of his strength Faith matters 173 and his desire to destroy us. How are we going to obey God's Word in the face of this frightening situation? The Word of God never just says, 'Do this,' or 'Don't do that,' leaving us to work it out for ourselves. Peter gives us very good advice which we must heed if we are going to escape the clutches of the evil one. He says, 'Be self-controlled.' He has already said the same thing in 1:13 and 4:7. 'Self-control is man's ability to look at reality with a clear mind.' 2 This refers to an inward attitude to those things which are outside ourselves. It is so easy to depart from what we know to be right. A Christian man is well aware that it is wrong to get over-fond of someone else's wife, but sometimes, alas, he lets go of his self-control. A wife can be guilty of the same sin, too. This is an example of playing with fire and thus falling into the devil's hands. The consequences of this kind of behaviour can only be disastrous (even if the popular Sunday newspapers do not get to hear of it). Another example we could think of would be an overindulgence of alcohol. Drinking too much of this can disinhibit people and encourage them to let go of their self-control. This is why so many people say that they like a drink; they say, 'It helps you to stop being shy and enables you to let go of yourself.' Another piece of advice that Peter gives us is to be alert. If there was a dangerous wild animal prowling around on the loose then any sensible person would keep watch for it. Perhaps Peter had in his mind that time in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus said to him, 'Stay here and keep watch with me' (Matthew 26:38). But instead of being alert, Peter and the others went to sleep and did not notice the approach of the betrayer and his henchmen. A third thing that Peter says is that we must stand firm in the faith. When we read of faith in the Bible, it often refers to our belief in God, our trust in Christ. But it can also mean 'the faith', i.e., the teaching of the gospel. That is what it means here. We do not have to be learned theologians to stand firm in the faith. Indeed many so-called religious experts seem to have departed from the faith. They even deny the fundamentals of God's Word. Some Anglican ministers recite the Thirty-Nine Articles of their church each year and yet openly admit that they do not believe in all of them.

10 174 Living for Christ in a pagan world Even on the question of the devil, many theologians say that there is no such being; he is only an influence for evil. Those who read God's Word, believe it and put its teaching into practice are 'standing firm in the faith'. So often people ask those of us who have gone through very trying times in our lives, 'What did that experience do to your faith?' We can only reply very humbly, 'It only strengthened it,' because our faith is not based on our feelings, or our ability to grasp complicated theological arguments. It is based on the clear, straightforward teaching of God's Word. So we need to stand firm on the doctrines taught in the Bible. It, like the Lord himself, is as strong as a rock. It will never let us down. A word of encouragement Peter then offers us a word of great encouragement. He says, '[Stand] firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of suffering' (5:9). When people are passing through trying circumstances the devil invariably tempts them to get so distressed that they concentrate solely on their own sufferings. Peter says, 'Remember others. You are not the only ones suffering. If you are suffering for righteousness' sake then praise God in it. But you know that other Christians (your brothers) throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.' Paul wrote to the Philippians, 'For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him, since you are going. through the same struggle you saw I had, and now hear that I still have' (Philippians 1:29-30). When we are suffering, and hear of other believers who are similarly being tested in their faith, then this should encourage us to persevere in our efforts to resist the devil. Not only is it encouraging to realize that we do not suffer alone, but we need to remember always that our God is 'the God of all grace' and he has 'called [us] to his eternal glory in Christ' (5:10). Peter often refers to grace. He tells us that God's grace is rich and varied (4: 10) and it is given to those who are humble (5:5). It is, therefore, in God that all grace originates and it is from God that all grace proceeds. Faith matters 175 Then Peter says that God has called his suffering saints to his eternal glory in Christ. 'The term call is not merely an invitation which a person can accept or reject as he pleases. It is a divine summons. It is a royal command which the recipient must obey and cannot ignore." The apostle also speaks about God's calling in 1:15; 2:9, 21; 3:9 and 5:10. It is in Christ that God has called his people; he has chosen them in Christ 'before the creation of the world' (Ephesians 1:4). When we suffer for Christ, because of our faith, the pain seems to go on for a long time, but we should encourage ourselves by remembering that Paul said, 'Our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all' (2 Corinthians 4:17). Even though we may emerge from a lifetime of suffering feeling very battered and bruised, it is a great comfort to know that God himself will definitely restore us and make us strong, firm and steadfast. It was to Peter himself that Jesus gave this charge: 'Strengthen your brothers' (Luke 22:32). God will restore his people to full strength again after the battle of life has passed. In the doxology that ends this section (see also 4:11) Peter uses the term 'power', which denotes an attribute or title of great rulers. Unlike the fading authority and strength of earthly rulers, Peter declares, 'To him [the God of all grace] be the power for ever and ever. Amen' (5:11).

11 Postscript Postscript Please read 1 Peter 5:12-14 In these three verses Peter tells us something about the reasons why he wrote this letter and adds a few details about his personal circumstances. This postscript is not just an afterthought; it is put at the end of this powerful letter for some very specific purposes. Peter says that he wrote his letter 'with the help of Silas' (5:12). Silas spent much time with Paul; for example, we read of them both being in prison together at Philippi (Acts 16). This would probably be one of the reasons why 1 Peter reflects some of Paul's letters. Probably Silas was a well-educated Greek-speaker and he would have acted as Peter's amanuensis, not just copying text, but clothing Peter's teaching with the Greek language. Some scholars believe that it was also Silas's task to deliver the letter and explain its teaching. In this final paragraph Peter explains that he wrote what he modestly calls 'this brief letter' to encourage these Christians. These dear saints certainly needed encouragement. When we consider the many Christian resources that are available to us, and then compare them with the little that they had, we can understand their need. When we think about the terrible persecution that Christians were undergoing in those days, and the likelihood that these same believers were about to have to go through similar experiences, then it was vital that they were given all the help that was at Peter's disposal. Barnabas was a great encourager of the early Christians. He sets us all an example to follow. Believers today seem to spend a great deal of their time running one another down, instead of trying to build each other up in the truth. Encouragement is a Christian virtue which is in very short supply. 1 Peter also wanted to testify that 'This is the true grace of God.' The truth which Peter has been outlining in this letter would not find acceptance by many who call themselves Christians today. These people find it necessary to explain away many of the doctrines stated or alluded to in these chapters. There is so much error being propounded in these days that the Christian church needs more than ever to stand firm in the truth of God and make it the foundation of all of its beliefs and practices. When Peter writes, 'She who is in Babylon... sends you her greetings,' it is clear that he is writing about the company of Christian believers in the place where he wrote this epistle. He has no qualms about mentioning Mark by name, so why should he fear to give the name of a lady if he was referring to his mother or someone else? Some commentators say that in mentioning Babylon Peter means the city to which the Jews had been exiled many years before. Calvin holds that Peter had gone to Mesopotamia to minister to the Jews in that place. 2 Others believe that 'Babylon' is a fortress in Egypt; but there are strong arguments to support the view that this is a code word for Rome. John called Rome 'Babylon' in Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2, 10, 21, and it seems very likely that Peter did the same. Tradition certainly says that Peter was executed near Rome. In 5:14 the believers are instructed to 'Greet one another with a kiss of love.' Different countries have varying ways of showing affection. In the Far East it is the custom to give a slight bow towards one another while in the West we tend to show affection by giving a warm handshake." Even today in the Middle East a friend will show affection by giving a warm hug. So how are Christians who live in Britain to obey Peter's injunction written in this verse? Does our traditional reserve really express the warm love which we ought to have towards our fellow believers? I confess that on a few occasions I have felt such a genuine warmth to a fellow believer that I have wanted to show that love in a much richer way than a polite handshake can express. Wayne Grudem

12 178 Living for Christ in a pagan world says, 'It is much harder to get mad at someone you have just hugged or kissed, and it is much easier to feel accepted in a fellowship which has such a warm welcome.' 4 The letter ends with the beautiful greeting: 'Peace to all of you who are in Christ.' How wonderful it is to know that 'peace of God, which transcends all understanding' (Philippians 4:7). Only those who, by grace, are 'in Christ' can experience this peace. Outside of Christ there is no hope and, naturally, no genuine peace which will last for all eternity.